Richard Rothstein over at QueerSighted (http://www.queersighted.com/) has a post that rings all too true to my experience:
“While the other adolescent boys were learning how to be themselves, I was learning how to be like them. I was an observer and a chameleon. By the age of 12, I fully understood that I was profoundly different from other boys. While they were discovering girls, I was discovering them--and I knew it was wrong. How did I know it was wrong? Because it was completely different from everything I saw on TV, in the movies and read in books and comics. Prince Charming wanted Cinderella and Snow White not Robin Hood and Tarzan. I was completely alone. No one and nothing wanted what I wanted.”
Needless to say, my sense of isolation was nearly overwhelming at times. Sadly, those who seek to perpetuate the “it’s a choice” myth continue to cite false and discredited research, cause in my view deliberate harm to gays of all ages. The latest example is Exodus International which has references to long discredited “research” of Paul Cameron on its website as discussed by Mike Airhart (who I have met while visiting D.C) on Ex-Gay Watch (http://www.exgaywatch.com/wp/2007/04/exodus-web-site-promotes-discredited-research-of-paul-cameron/). My comments in an August, 2003, e-mail debate with Peter LaBarbera fully describe the fraud worked by Paul Cameron and those who cite his “research:”
“Mr. LaBarbera,
You asked for back up regarding PaulCameron's anti-gay statements. I have set forth below a web address for a web page on the hatecrime.org web site that sets out a number of "loving" statements by Paul Cameron.
Hatecrime.org: http://www.hatecrime.org/subpages/hatespeech/cameron.html
I have also set out the web addresses for two web page with articles by Cameron.
1. "What Causes Homosexual Desire and Can It Be Changed?" at:
http://www.biblebelievers.com/Cameron3.html#footnote
2. "MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT HOMOSEXUALS DO" at:
http://www.biblebelievers.com/Cameron2.html#info
Some of his statements are truly outrageous and are anything but objective medical analysis. My personal favorites are: (1) "gays average somewhere between 106 and 1105 different partners/year," (2) "A large minority of gays engage in torture for sexual fun, " (3) "25% of white gays admitted to sex with boys 16 or younger as adults." I don't for the life of me know who these individuals were that gave Cameron such wild and inflammatory information. Certainly none of the gays I know, know of, or have read about support these claims. The vast majority in reality hold responsible jobs and lead regular and fairly dull lives, etc.
As indicated below, Cameron's studies were in fact bogus. I have found no reputable medical authorities that agree with Cameron's incredible claims. Instead, one finds that he has been publicly censured and thrown out of professional organizations for his conduct. Yet, he is regularly cited by "Christian" Right organizations as authority for their statements.
As further evidence that Cameron should not be relied on as a legitimate authority, the following information is off of a Psychology site at the University of California at Davis:
Paul Cameron Bio and Fact Sheet
Paul Drummond Cameron was born November 9, 1939, in Pittsburgh (PA).
He received his BA from Los Angeles Pacific College in 1961; his MA from California State University, Los Angeles, in 1962; and his PhD from the University of Colorado in 1966. His dissertation was titled Age as a determinant of differences in non-intellective psychological functioning.1
He was affiliated with various colleges and universities until 1980. They include Wayne State University (1967-68), University of Louisville (1970-73), Fuller Graduate School of Psychology [part of the Fuller Theological Seminary] (1976-79), and the University of Nebraska (1979-80).
On his curriculum vitae, he describes himself as a "Researcher/Clinician." According to the web site of the Nebraska Department of HHS Regulation and Licensure, his license as a Psychologist is "inactive."
He is chairman of the Family Research Institute, PO Box 62640, Colorado Springs, CO, 80962-2640. Telephone: (303) 681-3113. Fax: (303) 681-3427. E-mail: pdcameron@juno.com
In the mid-1980s, the gay press labeled Paul Cameron "the most dangerous antigay voice in the United States today."2, 3, 4. Here are some important facts about him.
On December 2, 1983, the American Psychological Association sent Paul Cameron a letter informing him that he had been dropped from membership. Early in 1984, all members of the American Psychological Association received official written notice that "Paul Cameron (Nebraska) was dropped from membership for a violation of the Preamble to the Ethical Principles of Psychologists" by the APA Board of Directors.5 Cameron has posted an elaborate argument about his expulsion from APA on his website, claiming that he resigned from APA before he was dropped from membership. Like most organizations, however, APA does not allow a member to resign when they are being investigated. And even if Cameron's claims were accepted as true, it would be remarkable that the largest professional organization of psychologists in the United States (and other professional associations, as noted below) went to such lengths to disassociate itself from one individual.
At its membership meeting on October 19, 1984, the Nebraska Psychological Association adopted a resolution stating that it "formally disassociates itself from the representations and interpretations of scientific literature offered by Dr. Paul Cameron in his writings and public statements on sexuality."6
In 1985, the American Sociological Association (ASA) adopted a resolution which asserted that "Dr. Paul Cameron has consistently misinterpreted and misrepresented sociological research on sexuality, homosexuality, and lesbianism" and noted that "Dr. Paul Cameron has repeatedly campaigned for the abrogation of the civil rights of lesbians and gay men, substantiating his call on the basis of his distorted interpretation of this research."7 The resolution formally charged an ASA committee with the task of "critically evaluating and publicly responding to the work of Dr. Paul Cameron."
At its August, 1986 meeting, the ASA officially accepted the committee's report and passed the following resolution:
The American Sociological Association officially and publicly states that Paul Cameron is not a sociologist, and condemns his consistent misrepresentation of sociological research. Information on this action and a copy of the report by the Committee on the Status of Homosexuals in Sociology, "The Paul Cameron Case," is to be published in Footnotes, and be sent to the officers of all regional and state sociological associations and to the Canadian Sociological Association with a request that they alert their members to Cameron's frequent lecture and media appearances."8
Cameron's credibility was also questioned outside of academia. In his written opinion in Baker v. Wade (1985), Judge Buchmeyer of the U.S. District Court of Dallas referred to "Cameron's sworn statement that 'homosexuals abuse children at a proportionately greater incident than do heterosexuals,'" and concluded that "Dr. Paul Cameron...has himself made misrepresentations to this Court" and that "There has been no fraud or misrepresentations except by Dr. Cameron" (p.536).9”
Notwithstanding being provided with this information, LaBarbera continues to spin blatantly false propaganda against gay Americans. Obviously, anyone who cites Cameron’s “research,” has little desire to tell the truth and is obviously further some disturb religious or political agenda. Unfortunately, the mainstream media NEVER challenges these false Christians with the true facts of their alleged underlying expert research.
“While the other adolescent boys were learning how to be themselves, I was learning how to be like them. I was an observer and a chameleon. By the age of 12, I fully understood that I was profoundly different from other boys. While they were discovering girls, I was discovering them--and I knew it was wrong. How did I know it was wrong? Because it was completely different from everything I saw on TV, in the movies and read in books and comics. Prince Charming wanted Cinderella and Snow White not Robin Hood and Tarzan. I was completely alone. No one and nothing wanted what I wanted.”
Needless to say, my sense of isolation was nearly overwhelming at times. Sadly, those who seek to perpetuate the “it’s a choice” myth continue to cite false and discredited research, cause in my view deliberate harm to gays of all ages. The latest example is Exodus International which has references to long discredited “research” of Paul Cameron on its website as discussed by Mike Airhart (who I have met while visiting D.C) on Ex-Gay Watch (http://www.exgaywatch.com/wp/2007/04/exodus-web-site-promotes-discredited-research-of-paul-cameron/). My comments in an August, 2003, e-mail debate with Peter LaBarbera fully describe the fraud worked by Paul Cameron and those who cite his “research:”
“Mr. LaBarbera,
You asked for back up regarding PaulCameron's anti-gay statements. I have set forth below a web address for a web page on the hatecrime.org web site that sets out a number of "loving" statements by Paul Cameron.
Hatecrime.org: http://www.hatecrime.org/subpages/hatespeech/cameron.html
I have also set out the web addresses for two web page with articles by Cameron.
1. "What Causes Homosexual Desire and Can It Be Changed?" at:
http://www.biblebelievers.com/Cameron3.html#footnote
2. "MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT HOMOSEXUALS DO" at:
http://www.biblebelievers.com/Cameron2.html#info
Some of his statements are truly outrageous and are anything but objective medical analysis. My personal favorites are: (1) "gays average somewhere between 106 and 1105 different partners/year," (2) "A large minority of gays engage in torture for sexual fun, " (3) "25% of white gays admitted to sex with boys 16 or younger as adults." I don't for the life of me know who these individuals were that gave Cameron such wild and inflammatory information. Certainly none of the gays I know, know of, or have read about support these claims. The vast majority in reality hold responsible jobs and lead regular and fairly dull lives, etc.
As indicated below, Cameron's studies were in fact bogus. I have found no reputable medical authorities that agree with Cameron's incredible claims. Instead, one finds that he has been publicly censured and thrown out of professional organizations for his conduct. Yet, he is regularly cited by "Christian" Right organizations as authority for their statements.
As further evidence that Cameron should not be relied on as a legitimate authority, the following information is off of a Psychology site at the University of California at Davis:
Paul Cameron Bio and Fact Sheet
Paul Drummond Cameron was born November 9, 1939, in Pittsburgh (PA).
He received his BA from Los Angeles Pacific College in 1961; his MA from California State University, Los Angeles, in 1962; and his PhD from the University of Colorado in 1966. His dissertation was titled Age as a determinant of differences in non-intellective psychological functioning.1
He was affiliated with various colleges and universities until 1980. They include Wayne State University (1967-68), University of Louisville (1970-73), Fuller Graduate School of Psychology [part of the Fuller Theological Seminary] (1976-79), and the University of Nebraska (1979-80).
On his curriculum vitae, he describes himself as a "Researcher/Clinician." According to the web site of the Nebraska Department of HHS Regulation and Licensure, his license as a Psychologist is "inactive."
He is chairman of the Family Research Institute, PO Box 62640, Colorado Springs, CO, 80962-2640. Telephone: (303) 681-3113. Fax: (303) 681-3427. E-mail: pdcameron@juno.com
In the mid-1980s, the gay press labeled Paul Cameron "the most dangerous antigay voice in the United States today."2, 3, 4. Here are some important facts about him.
On December 2, 1983, the American Psychological Association sent Paul Cameron a letter informing him that he had been dropped from membership. Early in 1984, all members of the American Psychological Association received official written notice that "Paul Cameron (Nebraska) was dropped from membership for a violation of the Preamble to the Ethical Principles of Psychologists" by the APA Board of Directors.5 Cameron has posted an elaborate argument about his expulsion from APA on his website, claiming that he resigned from APA before he was dropped from membership. Like most organizations, however, APA does not allow a member to resign when they are being investigated. And even if Cameron's claims were accepted as true, it would be remarkable that the largest professional organization of psychologists in the United States (and other professional associations, as noted below) went to such lengths to disassociate itself from one individual.
At its membership meeting on October 19, 1984, the Nebraska Psychological Association adopted a resolution stating that it "formally disassociates itself from the representations and interpretations of scientific literature offered by Dr. Paul Cameron in his writings and public statements on sexuality."6
In 1985, the American Sociological Association (ASA) adopted a resolution which asserted that "Dr. Paul Cameron has consistently misinterpreted and misrepresented sociological research on sexuality, homosexuality, and lesbianism" and noted that "Dr. Paul Cameron has repeatedly campaigned for the abrogation of the civil rights of lesbians and gay men, substantiating his call on the basis of his distorted interpretation of this research."7 The resolution formally charged an ASA committee with the task of "critically evaluating and publicly responding to the work of Dr. Paul Cameron."
At its August, 1986 meeting, the ASA officially accepted the committee's report and passed the following resolution:
The American Sociological Association officially and publicly states that Paul Cameron is not a sociologist, and condemns his consistent misrepresentation of sociological research. Information on this action and a copy of the report by the Committee on the Status of Homosexuals in Sociology, "The Paul Cameron Case," is to be published in Footnotes, and be sent to the officers of all regional and state sociological associations and to the Canadian Sociological Association with a request that they alert their members to Cameron's frequent lecture and media appearances."8
Cameron's credibility was also questioned outside of academia. In his written opinion in Baker v. Wade (1985), Judge Buchmeyer of the U.S. District Court of Dallas referred to "Cameron's sworn statement that 'homosexuals abuse children at a proportionately greater incident than do heterosexuals,'" and concluded that "Dr. Paul Cameron...has himself made misrepresentations to this Court" and that "There has been no fraud or misrepresentations except by Dr. Cameron" (p.536).9”
Notwithstanding being provided with this information, LaBarbera continues to spin blatantly false propaganda against gay Americans. Obviously, anyone who cites Cameron’s “research,” has little desire to tell the truth and is obviously further some disturb religious or political agenda. Unfortunately, the mainstream media NEVER challenges these false Christians with the true facts of their alleged underlying expert research.
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